Plastic container hinge and latch

Abstract

Blow-molded plastic container body and cover parts are hinged together by a cover joint formation integrally formed thereon and received in a body trough formation having sockets at the opposite ends thereof receiving hinge pins integrally formed at the opposite ends of the cover joint formation. A tapered latch tongue formed integral with the cover is received in snap-fitted engagement with a tapered latch receiving formation on the body for releasably latching the cover and body parts in closed position.

I claim: 
     
       1. A container comprising a body portion being of double wall thermoplastic material having a pair of hinge pin receiving means, each said hinge pin receiving means being integrally formed with said body portion into a hollow journal bearing, and a trough formation being integrally formed with said body and including a lower channel extending between said hinge pin receiving means in a continuous manner, a cover portion of thermoplastic material, said cover portion being of double wall construction and having formed as an integral part thereof a pair of hinge pin journals, and a joint formation extending between said hinge pin journals, said joint formation including a portion received in said trough formation with said hinge pin journals being correspondingly received in said journal bearings whereby said joint formation of said cover portion co-acts with said lower channel of said trough formation to provide a hinge joint, said hinge joint being closed in all open positions of said cover portion as viewed from within said open positions. 
     
     
       2. A container as set forth in claim 1, wherein said joint formation of said cover is hollow and has an arcuately curved wall portion which is exposed to view as said cover portion is moved from closed to open position, said wall portion being curved on a radius about the axis of said hinge pin journals and larger than the radius of said hinge pin journals. 
     
     
       3. A container as set forth in claim 1 wherein each said journal bearing includes a bore extending only through a wall portion of said container body which is adjacent to said cover portion wherein each said bore lies in a plane substantially perpendicular to the axis of said hinge pins. 
     
     
       4. A container as set forth in claim 1, wherein said trough formation is defined by a front and rear wall joined together by a bottom wall, said rear wall being recessed and providing a stop for said cover portion at a predetermined open position thereof. 
     
     
       5. A container as set forth in claim 4, said joint formation being disposed within said trough formation in all positions of said cover portion. 
     
     
       6. A container as set forth in claim 1 wherein said body portion and said cover portion are provided with mating edges adapted to abut in the closed position of said cover portion, and a peripheral band adjacent the upper end of said body portion concealing the parting line of said mating edges when engaged.